Tube beam forming device, tube beam and vehicle

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a pipe beam forming device, a pipe beam and a vehicle, a pipe beam forming device comprises a first die and a second die, the first die and the second die can define a mold cavity for forming a pipe beam when the first die and the second die are closed, the mold cavity comprises a first cavity and a second cavity in communication with each other, the pipe beam comprises a beam body and a beam body lap joint edge formed by extending outward from the beam body, the first cavity is used for forming the beam body, and the second cavity is used for forming the beam body lap joint edge, the beam body is formed in the first cavity, the forming power comes from internal pressure, the beam body is formed through an internal high-pressure forming process, the beam body lap joint edge is kept in the second cavity, a pipe beam with an integrated forming structure is obtained, compared with a traditional pipe beam, the number of traditional stamping sheet metals and connections is reduced, the problem that a welding point connection is torn in a collision process is effectively solved, so that the problem that a bending mutation is caused is solved, and the integrity of a vehicle body frame is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive parts technology, and in particular to a tube beam forming device, a tube beam, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Tubular beams are widely used components in automobile manufacturing. Their traditional forming process often involves stamping. Most load-bearing components in vehicles are made from thin sheet metal through stamping, and then assembled by welding. This increases the number of weld points in the entire structure. When a vehicle collides, these weld joints are prone to tearing, leading to abrupt bending of the tubular beam and severely impacting the vehicle's structural stability and collision safety. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a tube beam forming device, a tube beam, and a vehicle, which aims to improve the problem that the weld joint is prone to tearing when the vehicle is involved in a collision, resulting in abrupt bending of the tube beam.

[0004] This application provides a tube beam forming device, including a first mold and a second mold. When the first mold and the second mold are closed, they can define a mold cavity for forming a tube beam. The mold cavity includes a first cavity and a second cavity that are interconnected. The tube beam includes a beam body and a beam body overlap edge extending outward from the beam body. The first cavity is used to form the beam body, and the second cavity is used to form the beam body overlap edge.

[0005] In this embodiment, the beam is formed in the first cavity, powered by internal pressure through an internal high-pressure forming process. The inner wall contour of the first cavity forms the final shape of the beam. During the forming process, high-pressure liquid or gas is injected into the tube beam, and the beam expands and forms within the first cavity under high temperature and pressure. After forming, the outer circumference of the beam is tightly abutted against the inner wall of the first cavity. Simultaneously, because the overlapping edges of the beam are always limited by the contour of the second cavity, the pre-set structural shape is maintained during the expansion of the tube beam, ultimately forming an integrated tube beam structure. Compared to the traditional method of processing multiple parts separately and then welding them, this method reduces the number of traditional stamped sheet metal parts and connections, eliminating the need for separate processing and splicing processes. It significantly reduces the number of parts, mold tooling, and labor costs, improving production efficiency and the reliability of the vehicle body frame structure. It effectively solves the problem of tearing at weld joints during collisions, leading to sudden bending and ensuring the integrity of the vehicle body frame.

[0006] Optionally, the second cavity is disposed on the first mold or the second mold, and the second cavity has an opening, which is closed when the first mold and the second mold are closed. By disposing of the second cavity on the first mold or the second mold, installation space can be reserved for the overlapping edge of the beam, and the beam and the overlapping edge of the beam are formed in different cavities respectively, so that the overlapping edge of the beam does not deform or shift during the expansion and forming process of the beam.

[0007] Optionally, the first mold has a first groove, and the second mold has a second groove. When the first mold and the second mold are closed, the first groove and the second groove communicate to form the second cavity. By processing the second cavity in two parts, the processing difficulty of a single mold can be reduced.

[0008] Optionally, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity gradually increases or decreases in the direction perpendicular to the extension of the tube beam. This gradual change in the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity ensures that after the tube beam expands under high pressure, its outer circumference almost entirely adheres to the inner wall of the first cavity. This perfectly replicates the cross-sectional change trend of the first cavity, breaking the limitation of the cross-sectional area change rate of existing thermally expanded tube beams. This allows for larger span cross-sectional area changes in the tube beam, meeting the vehicle body's requirements for large-span variable cross-sections.

[0009] Optionally, the first mold includes a first part and a second part, and the second mold includes a third part and a fourth part. The first part, the second part, the third part, and the fourth part together form the first cavity. The second cavity is disposed between the lower surface of the second part and the upper surface of the fourth part. The second cavity is confined between the lower surface of the second part and the upper surface of the fourth part, so that when the two molds are closed, the overlapping edge of the tube can be clamped between the first mold and the second mold, ensuring the precise positioning structure of the overlapping edge of the tube.

[0010] Optionally, the first mold is provided with at least one first cooling channel, which can cool the tube beam. Cooling the tube beam in the mold cavity through the first cooling channel can accelerate the shaping of the tube beam, lock the forming shape of the tube beam, and improve production efficiency.

[0011] Optionally, the second mold is provided with at least one second cooling channel, which can cool the tube beam. Cooling the tube beam in the mold cavity through the second cooling channel can accelerate the shaping of the tube beam, lock the forming shape of the tube beam, and improve production efficiency.

[0012] Optionally, it also includes a sealing pusher, a portion of which is disposed in the first cavity. The sealing pusher is used to seal the cavity inside the beam body during the expansion molding of the beam body, so that when high-pressure liquid or gas is introduced into the tube body of the tube blank, the pressure inside the tube body can increase. When the pressure inside the tube body reaches a preset value, the tube body with a certain plasticity will undergo plastic deformation along the inner wall surface of the first cavity until the outer peripheral surface of the tube body abuts against the inner wall surface of the first cavity, thus obtaining the formed tube beam.

[0013] Optionally, the sealing pusher includes a first sealing pusher and a second sealing pusher. The first sealing pusher is connected to one end of the beam, and the second sealing pusher is connected to the other end of the beam, so that the cavity inside the tube is sealed, preventing leakage of high-pressure medium during pressurization and ensuring pressure stability during the hot gas expansion process.

[0014] Optionally, the sealing pusher is provided with an air inlet, which communicates with the cavity inside the beam body. Through the air inlet, high-pressure gas can be directly introduced into the inside of the tube, forming internal pressure. The gas pressure will act evenly on the inner wall of the tube, forming a continuous and stable expansion force, pushing the tube to expand and deform. The tube deforms along the contour of the first cavity, realizing the expansion forming of a large variable cross-section.

[0015] Optionally, the beam's cross-sectional area gradually increases or decreases perpendicular to its extension direction, and the outer circumferential surface of the beam abuts against the inner wall of the first cavity. Based on the change in the beam's cross-sectional area, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity is designed with a gradual change. During the expansion and deformation of the tube to form the beam, the first cavity provides precise shape guidance. Under the action of the high-pressure medium, the tube undergoes plastic flow along the gradually changing wall surface of the first cavity to form the beam.

[0016] This application provides a tubular beam, which is prepared and formed using the tubular beam forming apparatus as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0017] In this embodiment, the tubular beam is a one-piece molded structure, which can be directly assembled with the surrounding parts of the vehicle body through the overlapping edges. This reduces the use of ineffective welding and transition parts, and greatly improves the compatibility of the tubular beam with the surrounding parts. Compared with the traditional method of tubular beams that require multiple parts to be processed separately and then welded, this method reduces the number of traditional stamped sheet metal parts and connections. It significantly reduces the investment in parts, molds, tooling, and labor costs, improves production efficiency and the reliability of the vehicle body frame structure, and effectively solves the problem of tearing at the weld joints during a collision, which leads to abrupt bending and ensures the integrity of the vehicle body frame.

[0018] This application provides a vehicle including the tubular beam as described above.

[0019] In this embodiment, the tube beam is a large variable cross-section hot gas expansion tube beam with a single-layer flange. On the one hand, the tube beam forms a complete and effective cavity inside, and the overall structure is continuous without splicing, avoiding the strength deficiency caused by splicing gaps. On the other hand, this integrated large variable cross-section design increases the torsional stiffness of the tube beam by two orders of magnitude compared with traditional tube beams, greatly enhancing the tube beam's resistance to torsion and deformation.

[0020] In real-world vehicle use scenarios (especially collision scenarios), high torsional stiffness tubular beams can significantly optimize the transmission path of impact forces, reduce structural fractures or sudden bending caused by localized stress concentrations, thereby better ensuring the integrity of the vehicle body frame and providing key support for vehicle safety performance. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a tube beam forming apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a pre-expansion tube beam forming device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a thermally expanded tube beam forming device provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a tube blank provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a tube beam provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 100. Pipe beam forming device; 200. Pipe beam; 201. Beam body; 202. Beam body lap edge; 1. First mold; 11. First part; 12. Second part; 13. First cooling channel; 2. Second mold; 21. Third part; 211. First connecting part; 212. Second connecting part; 22. Fourth part; 23. Second cooling channel; 3. Tube blank; 31. Tube body; 32. Tube body overlap edge; 4. Mold cavity; 41. First cavity; 42. Second cavity; 5. First sealing pusher; 51. First flange; 6. Second sealing pusher; 61. Second flange; 7. Air inlet. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0024] Tubular beam components are widely used in automobile manufacturing. Taking the upper-body structure as an example, its core load-bearing structure mainly consists of load-bearing components such as the A-pillar, B-pillar, C-pillar, and roof beam. These load-bearing components are mostly produced using sheet metal stamping processes, and the formed sheet metal parts need to be assembled through welding processes. However, with increasingly stringent collision regulations, cracking and insufficient strength are prone to occur at the welded positions between stamped sheet metal parts.

[0025] Against this backdrop, internal high-pressure forming technology has gradually emerged, with hot-expanded tubular beams gaining significant advantages and finding application in the automotive structural components field. These hot-expanded tubular beams utilize an integrated molding process to combine structures that traditionally require multiple parts into a single unit, reducing welding connections and strengthening the load-bearing structure's stress and strength. However, hot-expanded tubular beams still face two long-standing technical challenges: firstly, the issue of seamless overlap between the hot-expanded tubular beam and its surroundings; and secondly, the limited rate of change of the cross-sectional area of ​​the hot-expanded tubular beam. These two problems, to some extent, hinder the widespread application of hot-expanded tubular beams.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown in the embodiment of this application, a tube beam forming device 100 includes a first mold 1 and a second mold 2. When the first mold 1 and the second mold 2 are closed, a mold cavity 4 for forming a tube beam 200 is defined between them. The mold cavity 4 includes a first cavity 41 and a second cavity 42 that are interconnected. The tube beam 200 includes a beam body 201 and a beam body overlap edge 202. The first cavity 41 is used to form the beam body 201, and the second cavity 42 is used to form the beam body overlap edge 202. After the beam body 201 is formed, its outer peripheral surface abuts against the inner wall surface of the first cavity 41.

[0027] In this embodiment, a mold cavity 4 is formed by closing the first mold 1 and the second mold 2. The beam 201 is formed in the first cavity 41, and the forming power comes from the internal pressure, which is achieved through an internal high-pressure forming process. The inner wall contour of the first cavity 41 is the final shape of the beam 201. Before forming, high-pressure liquid or gas is injected into the beam 201, and the beam 201 is formed by expansion in the first cavity 41. The outer peripheral surface of the beam 201 is in close contact with the inner wall of the first cavity 41. The overlapping edge 202 of the beam is contained in the second cavity 42. The shape of the second cavity 42 matches the outer shape of the overlapping edge 202 of the beam, providing only a space for containment without applying expansion constraints. The tube beam 200 in the second cavity 42 does not deform significantly under the action of high-pressure gas and maintains its initial shape.

[0028] The tube beam 200 produced by the tube beam forming device 100 of this application is an integrated molding structure. The beam body 201 forms a complete and effective cavity, and the overall structure is continuous without splicing, avoiding strength deficiencies caused by splicing gaps. The overlapping edge 202 of the beam body can be directly assembled with peripheral parts of the vehicle body, reducing ineffective welding and the use of transition parts, significantly improving the compatibility of the tube beam 200 with peripheral parts. Compared with the traditional tube beam method that requires multiple parts to be processed separately and then welded, this method reduces the number of traditional stamped sheet metal parts and connections, eliminating the need for separate processing and splicing processes. This significantly reduces the number of parts, mold tooling, and labor costs, improving production efficiency and the reliability of the vehicle body frame structure. It effectively solves the problem of tearing at weld joints during collisions, leading to sudden bending, and ensures the integrity of the vehicle body frame. Furthermore, the integrated molding of the tube beam 200 integrates multiple components into one unit, achieving a lightweight design for the tube beam 200.

[0029] In one example, the tube beam 200 is fabricated from a tube blank. The tube beam 200 includes a beam body 201 and a beam body overlap edge 202. The tube blank 3 includes a tube body 31 and a tube body overlap edge 32. The tube body overlap edge 32 is disposed along the outer circumferential surface of the tube body 31 and extends axially with the tube body 31. Figure 4 The diagram shows the structure of the tube blank 3. The tube body overlap edge 32 is rectangular. When the tube body overlap edge 32 extends along the axial direction of the tube body 31, the long side of the tube body overlap edge 32 is set on the outer circumferential surface of the tube body 31, and the short side of the tube body overlap edge 32 extends along the radial direction of the tube body 31.

[0030] After the first mold 1 and the second mold 2 are closed, a mold cavity 4 is formed. During assembly, the tube blank 3 needs to be placed into the mold cavity 4 after the mold is closed, so that the overlapping edge 32 of the tube body is completely accommodated in the second cavity 42, and the tube body 31 is correspondingly accommodated in the first cavity 41.

[0031] During the molding process, such as Figure 3 As shown, high-pressure liquid or gas is introduced into the interior of the tube 31, which increases the pressure inside the tube 31. When the pressure inside the tube 31 reaches a preset value, the tube 31, which has a certain plasticity, will undergo plastic deformation along the inner wall of the first cavity 41 until the outer circumferential surface of the tube 31 abuts against the inner wall of the first cavity 41, thereby obtaining the beam 201.

[0032] During this process, the contour of the first cavity 41 directly determines the final shape of the tube 31, achieving precise forming of the beam 201. Simultaneously, because the overlapping edge 32 of the tube is always limited by the contour of the second cavity 42, it will not shift with the deformation of the tube 31 during expansion, maintaining its preset structural shape. Ultimately, the overlapping edge 202 of the beam and the beam 201 form an integrated tube beam 200. The overlapping edge 202 of the beam and the overlapping edge 32 of the tube differ only in their positions before and after thermal expansion, resulting in a name difference; their structures are identical.

[0033] After the tube beam 200 is manufactured, the overlapping edge 202 of the beam can be directly assembled with the surrounding parts of the vehicle body, reducing the use of ineffective welding and transition parts, and greatly improving the compatibility of the tube beam 200 with the surrounding parts.

[0034] In one embodiment, during the hot gas expansion process, the billet 3 can be heated to a certain temperature by induction heating or furnace heating, which improves the deformation capacity of the billet, making it easier for the billet to deform along the mold contour, while significantly reducing the deformation resistance of the billet. Under the pressure of high-pressure gas, the billet deforms and undergoes controllable plastic flow along the contour of the first cavity 41 until the outer peripheral surface of the tube 31 abuts against the inner wall of the first cavity 41. The overlapping edge 32 of the tube is accommodated in the second cavity 42 and does not participate in the expansion. The cross-section of the hot gas expanded tube beam 200 is formed into an irregular cross-section by internal pressure, resulting in a large variable cross-section hot gas expanded tube beam 200 with a single-layer flange.

[0035] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the second cavity 42 is disposed in the first mold 1 or the second mold 2. The second cavity 42 has an opening, which is closed when the first mold 1 and the second mold 2 are closed.

[0036] By setting the second cavity 42 on the first mold 1 or the second mold 2, space can be reserved for the beam body overlap edge 202. The beam body 201 and the beam body overlap edge 202 are formed in different cavities. During the expansion and forming process of the beam body 201, the beam body overlap edge 202 does not deform or shift. When the first mold 1 and the second mold 2 are closed, the positioning of the tube body overlap edge 32 can be quickly achieved, which can improve assembly efficiency.

[0037] In this configuration, the first mold 1 and the second mold 2 are placed vertically, with the second mold 2 fixed on the worktable. The first mold 1 is positioned above the second mold 2. The second cavity 42 is located on the lower surface of the first mold 1, with its opening facing the second mold 2. When the molds are closed, the opening can be sealed, allowing the overlapping edge 32 of the tube to be accommodated within the second cavity 42. Alternatively, the second cavity 42 can be located on the upper surface of the second mold 2, with its opening facing the first mold 1. When the molds are closed, the opening can be sealed, allowing the overlapping edge 32 of the tube to be accommodated within the second cavity 42.

[0038] Preferably, the size of the second cavity 42 is adapted to the size of the pipe body overlap edge 32, which can improve the positioning function of the pipe body overlap edge 32 and prevent the pipe body overlap edge 32 from deforming or shifting during the expansion of the pipe body 31.

[0039] In an embodiment not shown, the first mold 1 is provided with a first groove, and the second mold 2 is provided with a second groove. When the first mold 1 and the second mold 2 are closed, the first groove and the second groove communicate to form a second cavity 42. By processing the second cavity 42 in two parts, the processing difficulty of a single mold can be reduced.

[0040] The first groove is located on the lower surface of the first mold 1, and the second groove is located on the upper surface of the second mold 2. When the molds are closed, the first groove and the second groove enclose each other to form the second cavity 42.

[0041] In one embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity 41 gradually increases or decreases perpendicular to the extension direction of the tube beam 200. This gradual change in the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity 41 provides precise shape guidance for the forming of the beam 201. During internal high-pressure forming, the tube 31, under the action of the high-pressure medium, undergoes plastic flow along the gradually changing wall surface of the first cavity 41 until the outer circumference of the tube 31 is almost entirely attached to the inner wall surface of the first cavity 41, resulting in the beam 201. The beam 201 can completely replicate the cross-sectional change trend of the first cavity 41, thereby breaking the limitation of the cross-sectional area change rate of existing hot-expanded tube beams 200. This allows for larger span cross-sectional area changes in the tube beam 200, meeting the vehicle body's requirements for large-span variable cross-sections.

[0042] The cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity 41 changes in a continuous and smooth transition (without obvious steps or seams).

[0043] In this embodiment, since the tube blank 3 undergoes plastic deformation during the forming process, when manufacturing the tube blank 3, the tube blank 3 is designed with a gradually changing cross section in advance. The cross-sectional area of ​​the tube blank 3 is gradually increasing or decreasing. During the expansion process, the amount of material deformation can be reduced, the difficulty of internal high-pressure forming can be reduced, and the stability of tube beam 200 forming can be improved.

[0044] In one embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the first cavity 41 is quadrilateral in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the tube blank 3, and the cross-sectional shape of the tube body 31 is circular, triangular or quadrilateral. The tube body 31 can expand to almost fit against the inner wall surface of the second cavity 42.

[0045] In one embodiment, the rate of change of the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity 41 is greater than the rate of change of the cross-sectional area of ​​the tube blank 3 in the extending direction of the first cavity 41.

[0046] The cross-sectional area change rate of the first cavity 41 is designed to be greater than that of the tube blank 3. This allows the tube blank 3 to undergo only a small deformation during internal high-pressure forming, enabling it to continue extending along the wall of the first cavity 41 under the action of internal high pressure and gradually conform to the target contour. This reduces the amount of deformation of the tube 31 in a single operation, lowers the material flow resistance and the risk of excessive stretching, and reduces the forming difficulty of the large-span variable cross-section tube beam 200.

[0047] The shape of the mold cavity is adapted to the shape of the tube beam 200. When the tube beam 200 is a straight structure without bends, the mold cavity is designed to extend in a single direction without bends. When the tube beam 200 has a bent structure, such as... Figure 5 The diagram shows a schematic of the structure of the tube beam 200. The tube beam 200 shown in the figure has two sections that are set at an angle. The mold cavity is divided into two matching sub-cavities in the length direction. The two sections of the tube beam 200 are formed in the two sub-cavities respectively.

[0048] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the first mold 1 includes a first part 11 and a second part 12, and the second mold 2 includes a third part 21 and a fourth part 22. The first part 11, the second part 12, the third part 21 and the fourth part 22 enclose each other to form a first cavity 41, and the second cavity 42 is disposed between the lower surface of the second part 12 and the upper surface of the fourth part 22.

[0049] In this application, a first cavity 41 is formed by the first part 11, the second part 12, the third part 21 and the fourth part 22. When facing tube beams 200 with different cross-sectional characteristics, the mold at the corresponding position can be adjusted to improve the application range of the mold, reduce the development cost of the mold, and be applicable to cross-sectional changes under various conditions.

[0050] The second cavity 42 is confined between the lower surface of the second part 12 and the upper surface of the fourth part 22, so that when the two molds are closed, the pipe overlap edge 32 can be clamped between the first mold 1 and the second mold 2, ensuring the precise positioning structure of the pipe overlap edge 32.

[0051] The first mold 1 and the second mold 2 are placed one above the other, with the second mold 2 fixed on the worktable and the first mold 1 located above the second mold 2. The first mold 1 has an L-shaped structure, and the second mold 2 has a U-shaped structure. When the first mold 1 and the second mold 2 are closed, one end of the first part 11 abuts against the third part 21, and the other end of the first part 11 is connected to the second part 12. The second part 12 and the fourth part 22 are stacked on top of each other.

[0052] Furthermore, the third part 21 includes a first connecting part 211 and a second connecting part 212 that are interconnected. The first part 11 and the first connecting part 211 are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction, and the second connecting part 212 is arranged opposite to the second part 12 and the fourth part 22 in the horizontal direction. The first part 11, the second part 12, the fourth part 22, the first connecting part 211, and the second connecting part 212 together enclose and form the mold cavity 4. The lower surface of the first part 11, the side surface of the second part 12, the side surface of the fourth part 22, the upper surface of the first connecting part 211, and the side surface of the second connecting part 212 define the first cavity 41, and the lower surface of the second part 12 and the upper surface of the fourth part 22 define the second cavity 42.

[0053] In other alternative embodiments, the first mold 1 may be U-shaped and the second mold 2 may be U-shaped.

[0054] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the first mold 1 is provided with at least one first cooling channel 13, which can cool the tube beam. During the hot gas expansion process, the tube blank 3 needs to be heated to a certain temperature by induction heating or furnace heating. After the tube body 31 expands into the beam body 201, the first cooling channel 13 cools the formed beam body 201 and the beam body overlap edge 202, which can accelerate the shaping of the tube beam, lock the forming shape of the tube beam, and improve production efficiency.

[0055] The first cooling channel 13 can penetrate the first mold 1, and its penetration direction is parallel to the axis of the beam 201. The first cooling channel 13 can be filled with liquid cooling water or liquid cooling oil to achieve cooling.

[0056] Both the first part 11 and the second part 12 of the first mold 1 are provided with a first cooling channel 13. The first cooling channel 13 of the first part 11 and the first cooling channel 13 of the second part 12 can be independent of each other or connected to each other.

[0057] In one embodiment, the second mold 2 is provided with at least one second cooling channel 23, which can cool the tube beam 200. During the hot gas expansion process, the tube blank 3 needs to be heated to a certain temperature by induction heating or furnace heating. After the tube body 31 expands and forms the beam body 201, the second cooling channel 23 cools the beam body 201 and the beam body overlap edge 202 in the mold cavity 4, which can accelerate the shaping of the tube beam 200, lock the forming shape of the tube beam 200, and improve production efficiency.

[0058] The second cooling channel 23 can penetrate the second mold 2, and its penetration direction is parallel to the axis of the tube body 31. The second cooling channel 23 can be filled with liquid cooling water or liquid cooling oil to achieve cooling.

[0059] The second mold 2 includes a third part 21 and a fourth part 22. The third part 21 includes a first connecting part 211 and a second connecting part 212 that are connected to each other. The first connecting part 211, the second connecting part 212 and the fourth part 22 are all provided with a second cooling channel 23. The second cooling channel 23 of the first connecting part 211, the second connecting part 212 and the fourth part 22 can be independent of each other or connected to each other.

[0060] In one specific embodiment, the first mold 1 is provided with at least one first cooling channel 13, and the second mold 2 is provided with at least one second cooling channel 23. The tube beam in the mold cavity 4 is cooled simultaneously through the first cooling channel 13 and the second cooling channel 23, which has a better cooling effect.

[0061] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the tube beam forming device 100 also includes a sealing pusher, part of which is disposed in the first cavity 41. The sealing pusher is used to seal the cavity inside the beam 201 during the expansion forming of the tube beam 200. After the tube blank 3 is placed into the mold cavity 4, it is sealed by the sealing pusher. In this way, when high-pressure liquid or gas is introduced into the tube body 31, the pressure inside the tube body 31 can increase. When the pressure inside the tube body 31 reaches a preset value, the tube body 31, which has a certain plasticity, will undergo plastic deformation along the inner wall surface of the first cavity 41 until the outer circumferential surface of the tube body 31 abuts against the inner wall surface of the first cavity 41, thus obtaining the formed tube beam 200.

[0062] At least a portion of the sealing pusher is disposed in the mold cavity 4. After the tube blank 3 is placed into the mold cavity 4, the sealing pusher is inserted into the mold cavity 4 to maintain the seal during the forming process of the tube body 31 expanding to obtain the beam body 201.

[0063] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1As shown, the sealing pusher includes a first sealing pusher 5 and a second sealing pusher 6. The first sealing pusher 5 is connected to one end of the beam 201, and the second sealing pusher 6 is connected to the other end of the beam 201. During the process of expanding the tube 31 to form the beam 201, the tube 31 is positioned between the first sealing pusher 5 and the second sealing pusher 6. When high-pressure liquid or gas is introduced into the tube 31, the first sealing pusher 5 can seal one end of the tube 31, and the second sealing pusher 6 can seal the other end of the tube 31.

[0064] The first sealing pusher 5 and the second sealing pusher 6 seal both ends of the tube body 31, thereby sealing the cavity inside the tube body 31. This prevents leakage of high-pressure medium during pressurization and ensures pressure stability during the hot gas expansion process.

[0065] The mold cavity 4 passes through the first mold 1 and the second mold 2, with the penetration direction parallel to the axial direction of the tube body 31. The first sealing pusher 5 is inserted into one end of the mold cavity 4, and the second sealing pusher 6 is inserted into the other end of the mold cavity 4.

[0066] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the first sealing pusher 5 is provided with a first flange 51, which limits the installation position of the first sealing pusher 5 in the mold cavity 4. In addition, the first flange 51 facilitates the application of force and reduces the difficulty of inserting and removing the first sealing pusher 5. The second sealing pusher 6 is provided with a second flange 61, which limits the installation position of the second sealing pusher 6 in the mold cavity 4. In addition, the second flange 61 facilitates the application of force and reduces the difficulty of inserting and removing the second sealing pusher 6.

[0067] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the sealing pusher is equipped with an air inlet 7, which communicates with the cavity inside the beam 201. The air inlet is used to allow high-pressure gas to pass through, so that the beam 201 is formed in the first cavity 41. When the tube expands, high-pressure gas can be directly introduced into the inside of the tube 31 through the air inlet 7, forming internal pressure. The gas pressure will act evenly on the inner wall of the tube 31, forming a continuous and stable expansion force, pushing the tube 31 to expand and deform. The tube 31 deforms along the contour of the first cavity 41, realizing the expansion forming of the large cross-section to obtain the beam 201.

[0068] Gas pressure is the driving force that drives the tube blank 3 to undergo plastic deformation and conform to the mold contour. Its value is not fixed and needs to be dynamically adjusted according to the material properties of the tube blank 3, the workpiece structure and other factors.

[0069] The air inlet 7 is disposed through the first sealing pusher 5 or the second sealing pusher 6.

[0070] The working process of the tube beam forming device 100 in this application is as follows: 1) Select suitable steel plates and manufacture tube blank 3 through a high-frequency welding process; the manufactured tube blank 3 is a large variable cross-section tube blank with a single-layer flange; such as Figure 4 The diagram shows a schematic of tube blank 3. 2) The straight tube with variable cross-section is bent. 3) The bent tube blank 3 is placed into a pre-forming mold and formed into a predetermined cross-sectional shape by stamping or hydraulic forming. This optimizes the initial shape of the tube blank, making its outline fit the final shape better and avoiding excessive gap between the tube blank and the mold during hot gas expansion. 4) After heating the pre-formed tube blank 3 to a certain temperature, the deformation capacity of the material is improved, while the deformation resistance is significantly reduced. Then, the pre-formed tube blank 3 is placed in the mold cavity 4, and the hot gas expansion process is performed. The shape of the mold cavity 4 is adapted to the tube blank after bending. High-pressure gas is injected into the tube body 31 through the air inlet 7, causing it to expand until it fits the inner wall of the first cavity 41, forming a precise part outline shape. After quenching and cooling by the cooling water in the first cooling channel 13 and the second cooling channel 23, the hot gas expanded tube beam 200 is obtained. The tube beam 200 is as follows: Figure 5 As shown. After obtaining the finished hot gas expansion tube beam 200, the required finished parts can be obtained by laser cutting.

[0071] like Figure 5 As shown, this application embodiment also provides a tube beam 200, which is prepared and formed by the tube beam forming apparatus 100 of any of the above embodiments.

[0072] The tube beam 200 prepared by the aforementioned tube beam forming device 100 is an integrated molding structure, which can be directly assembled with the peripheral parts of the vehicle body. This reduces the use of ineffective welding and transition parts, and significantly improves the compatibility of the tube beam 200 with the surrounding parts. Compared with the traditional tube beam 200, which requires multiple parts to be processed separately and then welded, this method reduces the number of traditional stamped sheet metal parts and connections. It eliminates the need for separate processing and splicing processes, significantly reducing the number of parts, mold tooling, and labor costs. This improves production efficiency and the reliability of the vehicle body frame structure, effectively solving the problem of tearing at the weld joints during a collision, which leads to sudden bending and ensuring the integrity of the vehicle body frame. In addition, the integrated molding of the tube beam 200 integrates multiple components into one unit, achieving a lightweight design for the tube beam 200.

[0073] In one embodiment, the tube beam 200 includes a beam body 201 and a beam body overlap edge 202. The beam body overlap edge 202 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the beam body 201. The extension direction of the beam body overlap edge 202 is consistent with the extension direction of the beam body 201. The beam body overlap edge 202 is formed in the second cavity, and the beam body 201 is formed in the first cavity 41. The outer peripheral surface of the beam body 201 abuts against the inner wall surface of the first cavity 41.

[0074] The beam 201 is formed within the first cavity 41 and tightly abuts against the inner wall of the cavity. Through thermal expansion and bonding, it forms a rigid support structure, significantly improving the bending and torsional strength of the tube beam. The beam overlap edge 202 serves as a reserved assembly structure for the tube beam. It does not affect the expansion and strengthening effect of the beam and can be directly assembled with the surrounding parts of the vehicle body in the future. This reduces the use of ineffective welding and transition parts, greatly improving the overlap compatibility between the tube beam 200 and the surrounding parts, and enhancing the assembly compatibility between the tube beam and the overall vehicle structure.

[0075] During assembly, the tube blank 3 is placed into the mold cavity 4 after mold closing, so that the overlapping edge 32 of the tube body is completely accommodated in the second cavity 42, and the tube body 31 is correspondingly accommodated in the first cavity 41. High-pressure liquid or gas is introduced into the tube body 31, increasing the internal pressure. When the internal pressure of the tube body 31 reaches a preset value, the tube body 31 will undergo plastic deformation along the inner wall of the first cavity 41 until the outer circumference of the tube body 31 abuts against the inner wall of the first cavity 41, thus forming the beam body 201. During the expansion process of the tube body 31, the overlapping edge 32 of the tube body will not shift with the deformation of the tube body 31, and will always maintain the preset structural shape. Finally, the overlapping edge 202 of the beam body and the beam body 201 form an integrated tube beam 200.

[0076] In one embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the beam 201 gradually increases or decreases perpendicular to its extension direction, and the outer peripheral surface of the beam 201 abuts against the inner wall of the first cavity 41. Based on the change in the cross-sectional area of ​​the beam 201, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity 41 is designed to be gradually varied. During the expansion and deformation of the tube 31 to obtain the beam 201, the first cavity 41 provides precise shape guidance. Under the action of the high-pressure medium, the tube 31 undergoes plastic flow along the gradually varying wall surface of the first cavity 41. After obtaining the beam 201, the outer peripheral surface of the beam 201 is almost entirely attached to the inner wall of the first cavity 41, completely replicating the cross-sectional change trend of the first cavity 41. This breaks the limitation of the cross-sectional area change rate of existing hot-expanded tube beams 200, enabling larger span cross-sectional area changes for the tube beam 200, thus meeting the vehicle body's requirement for large-span variable cross-sections.

[0077] This application also provides a vehicle including the tubular beam 200 described in the above embodiments.

[0078] In this embodiment, the tube beam 200 is a large variable cross-section hot gas expansion tube beam 200 with a single-layer flange. On the one hand, the tube beam 200 forms a complete and effective cavity inside, and the overall structure is continuous without splicing, avoiding the strength deficiency caused by splicing gaps. On the other hand, this integrated large variable cross-section design increases the torsional stiffness of the tube beam 200 by two orders of magnitude compared with the traditional tube beam 200, greatly enhancing the torsional and deformation resistance of the tube beam 200.

[0079] In real-world vehicle use scenarios (especially collision scenarios), the high torsional stiffness tubular beam 200 can significantly optimize the impact force transmission path, reduce structural fractures or sudden bending caused by local stress concentration, thereby better ensuring the integrity of the vehicle body frame and providing key support for vehicle safety performance.

[0080] In this application, the cross-sectional area change rate refers to the degree of change of the cross-sectional area of ​​a component with respect to its length in a specific direction (usually the length direction), and is used to quantify the magnitude of change in cross-sectional dimensions.

[0081] In this application, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0082] In this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0083] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc., in this application (if any) are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0084] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A tube beam forming device, characterized in that, It includes a first mold and a second mold. When the first mold and the second mold are closed, they can define a mold cavity for forming a tube beam. The mold cavity includes a first cavity and a second cavity that are interconnected. The tube beam includes a beam body and a beam body overlap edge extending outward from the beam body. The first cavity is used to form the beam body, and the second cavity is used to form the beam body overlap edge.

2. The tube beam forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second cavity is disposed in the first mold or the second mold, and the second cavity has an opening, which is closed when the first mold and the second mold are closed.

3. The tube beam forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first mold is provided with a first groove, and the second mold is provided with a second groove. When the first mold and the second mold are closed, the first groove and the second groove are connected to form the second cavity.

4. The tube beam forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity gradually increases or decreases in the direction perpendicular to the extension of the tube beam.

5. The tube beam forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first mold includes a first part and a second part, and the second mold includes a third part and a fourth part. The first part, the second part, the third part and the fourth part surround to form the first cavity, and the second cavity is disposed between the lower surface of the second part and the upper surface of the fourth part.

6. The tube beam forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first mold is provided with at least one first cooling channel, which is capable of cooling the tube beam.

7. The tube beam forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second mold is provided with at least one second cooling channel, which is capable of cooling the tube beam.

8. The tube beam forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a sealing pusher, a portion of which is disposed in the first cavity, and the sealing pusher is used to seal the cavity inside the beam body during the expansion and molding of the beam body.

9. The tube beam forming device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sealing pusher includes a first sealing pusher and a second sealing pusher, the first sealing pusher being connected to one end of the beam and the second sealing pusher being connected to the other end of the beam.

10. The tube beam forming device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sealing pusher is provided with an air inlet, which is connected to the cavity inside the beam body.

11. The tube beam forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beam has a cross-sectional area that gradually increases or decreases perpendicular to its extension direction, and the outer peripheral surface of the beam abuts against the inner wall of the first cavity.

12. A tubular beam, characterized in that, The tube beam is prepared and shaped using the tube beam forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1-11.

13. A vehicle, characterized in that, Including the tubular beam as described in claim 12.

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